Lviv, a city of more than 700,000 people about 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Ukraine’s border with Poland, has largely escaped major Russian attacks in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, Russian forces fired rockets at a military training center near Lviv, then the westernmost target, killing 35 people. Since the beginning of the invasion, Lviv has become a safe haven for some 200,000 displaced Ukrainians. The blasts erupted on Saturday as US President Joe Biden wrapped up a visit to Poland’s neighboring NATO ally, during which he told the Polish president that “your freedom is ours”.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: – The bombed city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine fears that it will become the “next Mariupol” – Associated Press independently documents at least 34 attacks on Ukrainian medical facilities by Russian forces – Russian President Vladimir Putin faces tough choices in invading Ukraine as armed forces cease – Hungarian Prime Minister Orban criticized for “neutral” stance in Russia’s war against Ukraine – Ukrainian fashion brand in a bombed-out city picks up and leaves – Is cryptocurrency assistance for Ukraine a major innovation or just a side event? Go to for more coverage

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WARSAW – President Joe Biden on Saturday spent time with Ukrainian refugees in Poland as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Europe, admiring the spirit of their determination in the wake of Russia’s invasion of their homeland. The President listened carefully to the young children of Ukraine telling them about their parents. He picked up a young Ukrainian woman in a pink coat, smiling broadly and telling her she reminded him of his own granddaughters. He also held hands and hugged his parents as he listened to their stories during a visit to a stadium in Warsaw where Ukrainian refugees go to obtain a Polish identification number giving them access to social services such as healthcare and schools. Some of the women and children told Biden that they fled to Poland without their husbands and fathers, men of fighting age who had to be left behind to help in the fight against Russian forces. “What always amazes me is the depth and power of the human spirit,” Biden told reporters after his talks. “Each of these kids said something like ‘Say a prayer for my dad or grandpa or my brother.’

WARSAW, Poland – Polish President Andrei Duda welcomed President Joe Biden’s assurances during a visit to the Polish capital on Saturday that NATO would guarantee his country’s security. He said the reassurances were even more important as Russia launches violent attacks on Ukraine, just across Poland’s eastern border. “I think for us Poles, in the situation we have today, in our part of Europe, in the era of Russian aggression against Ukraine, this is a very important element,” Duda said. Duda, speaking after the meeting with Biden, said he also urged the United States to speed up planned arms deliveries to Poland. Duda noted that under contracts already in place with the United States, Poland would receive Patriot missiles, artillery launchers, F-35 fighter jets and 250 Abrams tanks. “I urge the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to speed up as much as possible those purchasing programs that are already in place to strengthen our security,” said the Polish leader.

A man from Winona, Minnesota, who was detained by Russian forces in Ukraine, has been released, said US Senator Amy Klobuchar. Tyler Jacob was arrested earlier this month as he tried to cross from Ukraine to Turkey. Klobuchar said she had contacted the US State Department and contacted John Sullivan, the US ambassador to Russia, who had discussed the situation with the Russian government. The 28-year-old Jacob went to Ukraine in November, where he got a job teaching English to be with his longtime girlfriend, a Ukrainian, the Star Tribune reported. The couple married in January and lived in Kherson, a southern Black Sea port. Jacob stayed even after the Russian invasion last month, but finally decided he had to try to leave. Together with some friends from Turkey, he boarded a bus heading to the Turkish border, but was arrested at a checkpoint in Armiansk. Jacob is now safe with his wife and daughter and everyone is planning to travel to Minnesota. The family declined to give further details about Jacob’s detention conditions. Klobuchar said that “they want to be very careful” and “at some point the whole story will be told”.

PRAGUE – Several thousand Russians living in the Czech Republic in Prague and thousands of other people in London gathered to protest the Russian military offensive against Ukraine. Organizers from the Russian anti-war commission in Prague said the rally was an opportunity for Russian citizens to say “No to war”, “No to Putin”, “We are with Ukraine” and “We are with the Czech Republic” loud and clear. and the whole world against Russian aggression. “ Participants marched in the Czech capital on Saturday, waving white and blue flags, a common feature of Russian anti-war protests. They replaced the Russian national flag with the tricolor of the red, blue and white horizontal fields with another where the red field, symbolizing blood, was replaced by another white one. The protesters also carried banners reading “Stop Putin”, “Save the world” and “Putin is not Russia”, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “murderer”. In addition to their condemnation of the war, the Russians also said they wanted to make it clear that they were part of the local community and not secret supporters of Putin.

LONDON – Thousands rallied in central London on Saturday to protest against the Russian people as they resisted the Russian invasion. The march was organized by London Mayor Sadiq Khan after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on people everywhere to show their support for Ukraine. Protesters marched from Hyde Park to Trafalagar Square, which is decorated with the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. “These innocent people have experienced unimaginable pain and suffering in the last month, and as we unite today we show that we stand by them,” Hahn said. Khan also pledged 1, 1.1 million ($ 1.45 million) to support refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in London. About 3.8 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began.

WARSAW, Poland – US President Joe Biden told Polish President Andrei Duda that “your freedom is ours”, echoing one of Poland’s unofficial mottos. He assured Duda that the US and other NATO allies would come to the rescue if Russia attacked. The two gathered in Biden’s last day in Europe on Saturday to talk about their joint effort to end the war in neighboring Ukraine. Biden described the Western military alliance’s “collective defense” agreement as a “sacred commitment” and said NATO unity was paramount. He also acknowledged that Poland was bearing the brunt of the humanitarian crisis as more than 2 million of the 3.5 million people who fled Ukraine entered the country. He said other NATO allies needed to do more. The United States has pledged to accept up to 100,000 refugees. Duda said that relations between the two nations are flourishing, despite the difficult times.

BUCHAREST, Romania – NATO Deputy Secretary-General says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “barbaric war” against Ukraine is a win-win. Mircea Geoana told the Associated Press in an interview that NATO would be “forced to take appropriate action” in the event of a chemical or nuclear attack, following a series of ominous comments from Moscow officials who refused to block their use. He declined to say what those measures would be. “NATO is a defense alliance, but it is also a nuclear alliance,” he said. “If they use chemical weapons or other high-tech systems against Ukraine, it will fundamentally change the nature of Putin’s war against Ukraine.” “I can guarantee that NATO is ready to respond proportionately,” he added.

HELSINKI – Finland’s president says his country is likely to be targeted by Russian cyber warfare and could face border violations if it decides to apply for NATO membership. Several polls in recent weeks have shown that a majority of Finns now support NATO membership, up from a maximum of 25% before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Sauli Niinisto said in an interview with the public broadcaster YLE on Saturday that the biggest benefit would be “to get a preventative effect”. However, he noted the risk of divisive behavior by Russia during the accession process, which will take at least months. He said a request would lead to tensions on Finland’s 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, including the possibility of “strong” border and ground violations – not just by Russian aircraft, as Finland has experienced in the past. Niinisto said: “We do not even know all the possibilities for a hybrid influence that one can invent. The whole IT world is vulnerable. “Even some important functions of society can be disrupted.” Moscow has stated that it would consider the accession of the members of the European Union to Finland and neighboring Sweden to NATO a hostile move that would have serious military and political …